Mastering Landscape Photography - Alain Briot

23 Pages·2006·5.78 MB·English

Mastering Landscape Photography
1313 Buch Briot.indb 1 06.10.2006 21:31:55 Uhr
1313 Buch Briot.indb 2 06.10.2006 21:31:55 Uhr
Mastering Landscape Photography
The Luminous-Landscape Essays
Alain Briot
1313 Buch Briot.indb 3 06.10.2006 21:31:55 Uhr
Alain Briot, [email protected]
Editor: Gerhard Rossbach
Copyeditor: Joan Dixon
Layout and Type: Almute Kraus, www.exclam.de
Cover Design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de
Cover Photo: Alain Briot
Printer: Friesens Corporation, Altona, Canada
Printed in Canada
ISBN 1-933952-06-7
1st Edition
© 2007 by Rocky Nook Inc.
26 West Mission Street Ste 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
www.rockynook.com
Library of Congress catalog application submitted
Distributed by O’Reilly Media
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastapool, CA 95472
All product names and services identified throughout this book are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. They
are used throughout this book in editorial fashion only and for the benefit
of such companies. No such uses, or the use of any trade name, is intended
to convey endorsement or other affiliation with the book.
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be
reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without written permission of the copyright owner.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
1313 Buch Briot.indb 4 06.10.2006 21:31:55 Uhr
1313 Buch Briot.indb 5 06.10.2006 21:31:55 Uhr
Table of Contents
12 Preface
14 Introduction
1
16 How to See Photographically
17 Seeing Photographically
17 Making Abstract All Sensory Input Except for Visual Input
18 Focusing on the Visual Aspects of the Scene
18 Learning to See in Two Dimensions
18 Recreating Depth, the 3rd Dimension, in a 2-Dimensional
Medium
2
22 How to Compose a Photograph
23 Introduction to Composition
24 Th e Strongest Way of Seeing
24 Th ere is More Th an One Way to Compose a Scene
25 One Composition Among Many
25 Walking the Scene
26 Using a “Cutout” Finder
27 Rules of Composition
31 Conclusion
3
32 How to Choose the Best Lens for a Specifi c Composition
33 Th e Importance of the Lens
33 Human Eyes and Camera Eyes
34 One Landscape: Th ree Main Lens Choices
42 Which Lens Should I Take?
42 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
43 Conclusion
1313 Buch Briot.indb 6 06.10.2006 21:32:00 Uhr
Table of Contents 7
4
46 How to Find the Best Light for a Specifi c Photograph
47 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light (Genesis
1:3)
47 Drawing with Light
48 Th ree Governing Rules Regarding Light
48 How to Find the Best Light
50 Sunrise and Sunset – Th e Best Light
52 Other Light Choices
52 Th e Various Types of Natural Light
58 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
60 Conclusion
5
62 How to Select the Best “Film” for a Specifi c Photograph
63 Introduction to Film Choice
63 A Look at Photography in History
64 Film and Seeing
65 Th e Importance of Raw Conversion
66 Color or COLOR
66 Let’s Use Film (or digital capture); Let’s Not Let Film Use Us!
67 Color or Black and White?
69 Duotones, Tritones and Quadritones
70 Film Speed
73 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
75 Conclusion
6
76 How to Determine the Best Exposure for a Specifi c
Photograph
77 Introduction to Exposure
77 Th e Importance of Proper Exposure
78 Gray Cards, Overexposure, and Underexposure
80 How to Determine the Contrast Range that the Film or
Digital Camera Can Capture
82 Th e Power of the Histogram
83 Exposure for Digital Captures
1313 Buch Briot.indb 7 06.10.2006 21:32:05 Uhr
8 Table of Contents
84 Th e Importance of Shooting RAW
84 Exposing to the Right
85 Some Examples of Common Histograms
88 Bracket, Bracket, Bracket
90 Study the Scene Being Photographed
92 High Contrast Remedies
97 Familiarize Yourself with Hand Held Light Meters
98 Spot Meter Meets PDA
99 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
102 Conclusion
7
104 Keepers or Non-Keepers?
105 Keepers or Non-Keepers?
105 Which Ones Are Good; Which Ones Are Bad?
108 My Personal Selection Criteria
110 Technical Excellence vs. Aesthetics
110 Th e Selection Criteria
111 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
112 Conclusion
8
116 How to Create a Portfolio of Your Work
117 Introduction to Creating a Portfolio
117 What is a Portfolio?
117 Portfolios and Portfolios
120 Goal and Purpose
120 Audience
122 Portfolios Are Not Necessarily Aimed at Showcasing a
Photographer’s Best Work
123 Th e Contents of a Portfolio
123 Some Important Questions About Portfolios
125 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
129 Conclusion
1313 Buch Briot.indb 8 06.10.2006 21:32:08 Uhr
Table of Contents 9
9
130 How to Establish a Personal Photographic Style
131 Introduction to Personal Style
131 Who Are We?
133 Who Am I?
133 A Personal Style is a Unique and Personal way of Seeing
135 Choosing a Subject is Not Developing a Personal Style
136 Choosing a Subject is Not the Same as Choosing a Genre
138 Personal Discovery is Not Personal Style
138 A Personal Style Is a Combination of Choices
142 A Personal Style Is Fine Tuning Choices to Fit Your Own
Personality
146 My Personal Style
147 Fortuitous Attempts and Defi ning Images
148 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
151 Conclusion
10
154 Being an Artist
155 Introduction to Being an Artist
157 Freedom of Expression: Let Us Be Artists
159 Being an Artist Is a Lifestyle; Not a Temporary Situation
161 Being an Artist Does Not Mean Making an Income from
Your Art
162 Being an Artist Does Not Mean Exhibiting or Publishing
Your Work
164 Being an Artist Means Having an Audience
166 Being an Artist Means Having an Appreciation for the Arts
168 Being an Artist is Knowing How to React When You are Told
that “Artists are Lucky!”
171 Being an Artist Does not Mean Being an Art Critic
174 What About Talent?
176 Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises
178 Conclusion
1313 Buch Briot.indb 9 06.10.2006 21:32:12 Uhr